Windmill



(ModeL) D. ALTHOUSE. WINDMILL.

No. 243,751. Patented Jul 5, 1881.

WITNESSES INVENTOR: 7Q Qfl/fad/ I ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID ALTHOUSE, OF FARRAGUT, IOWA.

WINDMILL.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letterslatent No. 243,751, dated July 5,1881.

Application filed March 17, 1881. (Model) Farragut, in the county ofFremont and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement inWindmills, of which the following is a specification.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my im provement. Fig. 2 is a planview of the same, part of the cover being broken away.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to cheapeu the construction, increasethe durability, and facilitate the controlling of windmills.

Arepresents the'tower orframe, upon which the wind-wheel is mounted.

To the top of the frame A is attached a platform, B, the middle part ofwhich is cut away, forming a large circular opening, 0, through whichthe wind can escape.

D is the vertical wheel-shaft, the lower end of which revolves in asocket or thrust-bearing, E, attached to the frame A or other suitablesupport. To the shaft D, just above the platform B, are attached thewings F of the wind-wheel. The wings F are curved transversely or madesemi-cylindrical in form, and have their inner upper corners drawnforward and their innerlower corners drawn to the rearward to give thema tendency to discharge the wind downward through the opening 0. Thewings F are strengthened by a top plate, G, attached to their upperedges.

To the platform B, beyond the outer ends of the wings F, are attachedposts H, to the upper ends of which is attached the top plate or coverI.

' To the center of the cover I is attached a plate, J, througlrthecenter of which the shaft D passes, and which forms a bearing for thesaid shaft. Upon the shaft D, as a pivot, is placed a circular plate, K,the lower side of which is recessed to receive a coiled spring, L. Oneend of the spring L is attached to the pivoted plate K, and its otherend is attached to the stationary bearing-plate J.

To the outer edge of the pivoted plate K are hinged the inner ends of anumber of tangential rods, M, to the outer ends of which are attachedthe upper ends of a number of arms, N. The arms N pass through curvedslots 0 in the cover I, and are attached to the chutes or shutters P,which are hinged to the posts H. The chutes P are curved upon the arc ofa circle, and are made of such a length that the free end of each chuteP, when closed, will overlap the hinged end of the adjacent chute P, andthus inclose the wheel F G and prevent itfrom being operated upon by thewind.

To the plate K is rigidly attached the inner end of a lever, Q, so thatthe said plate K can be turned to close the chutes P by operating thesaid lever Q. The lever Q may be held in place by hooks or other catchesattached to the cover I; The lever Q can be operated by hand to closethe chutes P by a person standing upon the platform B. We prefer,however, to attach a cord to the lever Q, lead the said cord over apulley-pivoted to a post attached to the frame A, and then lead the saidcord downward into such a position that it can be readily reached andoperated by the attendant. In this case the lower end of theadjusting-cord can be secured'to a belaying-cleat, or by other suitablemeans.

The cord, pulley, and post are not shown in the drawings, as there isnothing new in their construction.

The chutes P are held open ,by the spring L; or the lever Q can beprovided with a second pulley, cord, and post upon the opposite side ofthe said lever Q from the first set, so that the chutes P can be bothopened and closed by operating the lever Q.

Motion can be communicated from the shaft D to the machinery to bedriven by gear-wheels,

pulleys, and belt, or other suitable means.

- To the upper end of the shaft D, or to a crosshead attached to thesaid upper end, are hinged the upper ends of two arms, R, to the lowerends of which are attached balls S.

' To the middle parts of the armsR are hinged the upper ends of twobars, T, the lower ends of which are hinged to a circular plate or disk,U. The disk U is secured to the shaft D in such a way as to be carriedaround by and with the shaft in its revolution, but can slide freely upand down upon the said shaft.

In the edge of the disk U is formed a groove, V, to receive flanges,hooks, or lips W formed upon or attached to the edge of a disk, X,through the center of which the shaft D passes and revolves, the saiddisk X being held from revolving by the bent levers Y. The levers Y arepivoted at their angles to supports Z attached to the top or cover I,and the ends of their upper arms are connected with the disk X. Thelowerarms of the bent levers Y pass through apertures in the rods M, whichmay be two of the rods M or other rods connected with the plate Ktangentially.

With this construction, as the speed of the wind-wheel increases, theballs S are thrown outward by centrifugal force, which movement forcesthe rods M inward, turning the plate K and closing the chutes P. As thespeed of the wind-wheel decreases the balls S drop, allowing the chutesP to be opened by the spring L.

I am aware that windmills have been pro vided with governors to regulatethe opening and closing of the shutters, and that the latter have beenclosed by weights; but

What I claim as new and of my invention 1s- 1. In a windmill, thecombination, with a platform B, having opening 0, of a windwheel havingwings]? connected at the top by a plate, G, at theinner ends to a shaftor hub, and unconnected at the bottom and outer ends, as shown anddescribed, whereby the air enters through the outer ends and exhausts atthe bottom through opening 0, as set forth.

2. The combination, with the central shaft, D, having weighted arms ItR, the pivoted bars T, and the grooved disk U V sliding on said shaft,of the disk or plate X, having curved lips W, the bent levers Y, hookingin holes at the outer ends of said plate, and the loop-rods M M, whichconnect with shutter-rods working in the slots of cover, as described,whereby the shutters open and close automatically as the wind rises orfalls.

3. In a windmill, the combination, with shut terrods N, working in slotsof cover, of the pivoted loop-rods M M and the disk K, on central shaftD, whereby the shutters may be opened and closed by a spring andhand-lever attached to the disk, as described.

4. In a windmill, the combination, with the wind-wheel shaftD and theplate K, rods M, and chutes P, of the weighted arms It S, theconnecting-bars .T, the rotating grooved disk U, the sliding flangeddisk X, and the bent levers Y, substantially as herein shown anddescribed, whereby the chutes are closed automatically as the speedof'the wind-wheel increases, as set forth.

DAVID ALTHOUSE.

\Vitnesses GEO. 0. FLEMING, EGBERT WHITE.

